This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This week we step into the most solemn week of our year. It begins with Palm Sunday and from it, we journey into the Paschal Triduum, or the three holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. It is a time where the lines between worship and re-enactment blurr, a time where we, the church, remember our past and pray for a tomorrow that will be better.

It is a time of confession and redemption, a time when past sins present realities, and future hopes all come together in our hearts. Through it all, it is a time when we remember that God loves us and is always calling us home. Please know all are invited to worship and pray with us. These are among the most important days of the Christian faith, they are our story and they are our hope.

Over the course of the next week we will celebrate new life with baptism and we will celebrate new opportunities as life moves forward. In the midst of this celebration, I want to give thanks for my friend and co-worker for the last five and half years, Allison Askins. Allison will be retiring from St. Martin's after 15 years of service. Her reasons are in her letter, which I encourage you to read. On a personal note, I will miss Allison's presence in the office --her questions, her desire to put St. Martin's forward in the best possible light, her faithful participation in communications and Christian formation, her work on our nationally awarded "faith!" magazine, and so much more. Allison has been a blessing in my life and the lives of the other rectors she has served with. She has been a blessing to this church. I am thankful for her and know that you all are as well. Allison, thank you.

In Christ,

Mitch+